Acupuncture

Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese method of healing, involves the insertion of very fine, sterile needles into particular points of the body known as “acupuncture points.” Chinese medical theory holds that acupuncture works by normalizing the balance of Qi (vital energy) throughout the body.

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the United States. Many studies have been done addressing the efficacy of acupuncture treatments.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference on Acupuncture found that the data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies. The NIH also noted that the incidence of adverse effects of acupuncture is substantially lower than that of many drugs or accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions.

Through clinical trials, The World Health Organization found that acupuncture can be beneficial in treating many medical conditions ranging from neurological and gastrointestinal to mental and emotional conditions. The official report titled Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials, lists the following symptoms, diseases, and conditions that have been shown to be treated effectively by acupuncture: